Hamas hands over 2 Israeli hostages in southern Gaza

Hamas handed two hostages over to the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday as part of its ceasefire deal with Israel.

The militants released Yarden Bibas, 35, and French-Israeli Ofer Kalderon, 54, in a highly stage-managed and orderly handover to the Red Cross. Both had been abducted during the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that sparked the war.

Another hostage, American-Israeli Keith Siegel, 65, was also set to be released on Saturday and was expected to be handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza City to the north.

The truce, which began on January 19, is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the Hamas militant group.

The fragile deal has held for nearly two weeks, halting the fighting and allowing for increased aid to flow into the tiny coastal territory.

A total of 33 Israeli hostages are expected to be freed in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners during the truce’s initial six weeks. Israel says it has received information from Hamas that eight of those hostages were either killed in Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack or have died in captivity.

Red Cross vehicles arrived on Saturday in a location in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis where Hamas is set to release hostages as part of a fragile agreement that has paused fighting after more than 15 months of war.